The present invention is in the field of manually positionable supports and is specifically directed to a manually postionable support means having particular adaptability for supporting a computer and its associated monitor.
It is frequently desirable to position a computer and its associated monitor in a variety of positions to permit multiple users to use the computer or to provide adequate work space for other materials. Consequently, a number of devices have been proposed for this purpose. Such devices include desk-mounted attachment means to which an inner pivot arm is mounted with an outer pivot arm being mounted on the outer end of the pivot arm and supporting a work support platform at its outer end. Such systems have suffered from a number of shortcomings, including lack of adequate strength, high friction pivot couplings between the pivot arms and between the inner pivot arm and its supporting structure, high expense and an inability to easily and accurately position the computer or other items supported on the outer end of the outer pivot arm. Other devices have employed parallelogram type linkages and/or complicated arrangements for supporting a work station platform. It should also be noted that the prior art contains a large number of older patents which were used for supporting a wide variety of items long before computers were invented. Examples of the prior art include U.S. Pat. Nos. 221,800; 818,982; 914,047; 999,283; 1,220,578; 1,247,112; 1,275,602; 1,696,518; 3,550,892; 4,085,961 and 4,307,672. Prior art patents specifically directed to apparatus for supporting computers or monitors include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,437,638 and 4,487,389.
Unfortunately, the prior art devices all suffer from one or more of the drawbacks of being difficult to position, overly complicated, expensive, lack of strength adequate to permit supporting heavy items such as computers, lack of versatility and being incapable of providing support for the supported item in a wide variety of positions.
Therefore, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a new and improved support device for computers and similar equipment.
A further object of the present invention is a provision of a new and improved computer support having high strength, ease of positioning of the supported computer over a large area and economy of construction and maintenance.